


V

by PhinesFloDeliNo



Category: V - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23671066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhinesFloDeliNo/pseuds/PhinesFloDeliNo





	V

Even from many meters away you could see the rust of the metal bar poking past the thin layer of pale, chipped paint people were expected to sit on. Nope. V's okay with standing for half an hour. You could probably smell the damn thing from the other side of the capital.

Chapter 1  
V fumbles with the bus money in her jacket pocket, still cold from being left on the kitchen counter all morning - why couldn't her parents have just woken her up and given her the money directly. In fact, why'd they not bother to at least set her an alarm or something, it surely couldn't have taken them more than 2 minutes.

Speaking of the time.

V glances up at the bus rota displayed above her head, glowing in red: 20 minutes to go, that’s assuming it’s not running late.

The air suddenly begins to smell an awful lot like baby powder, V peeks over her shoulder to discover another ancient being coming to rest at the bus stop. How slowly had they been moving for V to not hear their footsteps? The elderly person looks up to return V's dull, vacant stare - the only variation being their slight eyebrow raise. And as if they weren't rude enough as it was to stare, they began to mutter something under their breath. V didn't really catch it - perhaps 'how dare V be able to move about freely without the aid of a walking stick, utterly reprehensible the behavior of kids nowadays'.

At least you'd been able to wield chakras at one point in your life. Probably.

14 minutes

It would help if V did have chakras, then she might've already gotten to school by now. V could've packed her duffle bag a lot faster, maybe just carry her things in hand while she floated off to the academy. She wouldn't have to struggle with groceries or pathways clearly made for normal craftians. Well, maybe struggle was a harsh word; it's not like she's missing her actual arms. Just the invisible ones.

And there must be loads of kingdoms outside of Craftia with inhabitants who can't wield and get by just fine.

She'll live.

6 minutes

From across the corner of the dusty brown road rolls in the off-white rental bus for all kinds of unfortunate folk. The bus takes its sweet time trudging along the dirt path, creaking and groaning like the forsaken lovechild of an abandoned building and a bike left out in a snowstorm. It almost spends the rest of its due time reaching the bus stop (well, it feels like it). When it does arrive, she lets the old woman mount the bus before her. The bitter lady doesn't do so much as smile back at V. Wow, okay then.  
V settles on one of the inner seats at the back, it smells just as dank and musty as the road they drive on but at least the spot has a window. Opposite her there's an elderly couple clutching onto each other as though the grim reaper is trying to pry them apart. Impressive how they managed such a vice-like grip in their sleep. Behind them is this week's group of gossipy grandma's; their raspy, grating voices combined with the constant hacking of the bus’s engine make it near impossible for V to catch up on some much needed rest.

She'd been up late the night before blazing through borrowed textbooks on chakras and was suffering the consequences this morning; V had piled on half a pound of foundation yet she could still feel the panda circles around her eyes. She had hoped to find more of an explanation as to what was wrong with her - something more than a shoulder shrug from the same folks her refused to let her see an actual doctor.

“Excuse me dear, could you open the window for me? My chakras aren’t what they used to be”, yes, but you have legs. Use them.

V just stares straight through them.

Honestly, what a happy coincidence that the daughter of the nations (former) most powerful wielders fell in love and produced offspring with chakras comparable to cooked pasta. They could leave as many positive sticky notes on her bedroom door but it wouldn't change the fact they'd curse her if it meant not having such a disappointment of a daughter. Maybe V would too, what would that actually entail?

The catty group of elderly women have resolved to just clamoring amongst themselves and occasionally looking back at V. What did they want her to do? it’s not as if she could exactly reach.

Three seats to her left is a badger-bearded guy clutching onto empty, amber glass bottle - they stink. Every now and then they softly twitch as though they've ants crawling on their skin. V shifts uncomfortably towards the window. Fortunately, the Academy is within sight and she doesn't have to hold her breath for much longer.

Blue-clad students litter the cobblestone pathway, cardigans done up and sleeves unrolled - V adjusts her uniform.  
The rickety old bus slowly slides to a stop, almost as if to protect its fragile passengers from busting a hip. V makes her way over to the exit and out onto the warm concrete.

Leading up to what she assumed were the school gates, were two rows of withering bushes - what's the point in keeping them if no one's looking after them? Maybe to compliment the few live trees they had decorating the entrance. Make those ones look special.

She walks down the pathway, arms loose at her sides. V looks straight ahead at the door of the Academy. When she escapes inside she's met with the light smack of reality. And reality appears to look like an A3, laminated booklet. Looking up she spots a hand drooping of off the top of the arc doorway. Beside the pale hand hangs a basket: of what V can only guess to be more paper booklets. Not stopping to read, she holds it under her arm and continues down the empty, narrow hallway. It's loud outside but at least the sound is somewhat muffled. The room also looks muffled, almost inviting.

V peers into several classrooms before deciding to look at acceptance letter again.  
Welcome ... humble academy... impressive reputation.... as you are new you will have Ane Osla (one of our elder students) stay with you for your first month to get settled. You are to meet them in the school's student office - ok that's all V needs. The letter doesn't even say how she's going to find this Ane, or where the student office was.

"Vivea?"

V looks up, that's convenient. Before her, a tower of a woman staring down at her. Well-built, round eyes, round face and somehow even paler than V. How long had it been since she'd gone outside? She’s clutching a navy blue binder to her chest while also wielding books to her side. The girl approaches V.  
"Great, found you, Hi I'm Ane" they say, barely giving V a chance to interject. She instead blathers on about how great it is to meet her. Her plastered smile is sickeningly sweet and unwavering.

V avoids eye contact "Can I just have my room?", she asks bluntly. Ane falters for a bit, her eyebrows twist - almost to ask if agreeing to babysit this 3rd year was a good idea (that's if Ane was asked at all).  
"Of course, I mean obviously not yet - classes start in ten minutes." Ane started, almost biting her tongue "But I wouldn't mind taking your bags to our room.". Ane holds out her hands expectantly, almost as if she anticipates more than the toddler-sized duffle bag V drops in her hand. It's not like she has anything worth stealing anyways.

Ane oogles at it for a little while and then scuttles out of the room. V watches as she skips around the corner.

8:21

There are names on the doors so Ane wasn't needed, she could've just waited till after school. V might've been more willing to engage in any idle chatter Ane tried to start. Might've. The interaction leaves a calm tide of thoughts in V's mind, originally about what Ane thought of her after that interaction and if that would affect how much room she'd have in her new room .Why didn't Ane seek her out? Why is she being put to stay with a senior student? Why would students be playing pop music so close to lesson time?  
Vivea, she can't see past the door.

Hopefully the cacophony of the classroom would die down as lessons started. She drags open the door. It screeches loudly against the cheap, wooden floor. Nearly rivales morning alarms if morning alarms were braking cars. The noise clearly catches the attention of the handful of teens that were in the classrooms. God who raised these kids, chatting on windowsills and talking on tables - chairs were made for a reason. V makes her way to a lonely stool in the back corner of the room, it gives her clearer view of the drab corridor she'd just walked through.

On the table, opposite V, was about half classroom. And the boombox. But more importantly, 6 or 7 kids huddled around the table as though it were a campfire, and watching a flame of a speaker relay some sort of by the fire story. V can't hear them from where she sits but the other person seems to enrapture the entire group. How charming.

It's probably the way she carries herself. Act confident, feel confident. Feel confident, look and sound confident. And confident seeming people don't need to sound smart because people will listen anyways. So who cares if they're popular, it doesn't mean they're smarter or better than anyone (and certainly not V), they're just good at attracting attention.

Seems like V has their attention; or maybe she's just been staring for too long. Wait no it's only been a minute, they're too attentive. And maybe nosy too. They unnecessarily tuck their hair back and unfold their legs. Pausing for a bit in their travelling tale, they once again glance in V's direction - only now, they spin their entire head around, not even trying to hide the fact that they're staring. Of course people like her wouldn't care for common etiquette or just decent manners. This wouldn't stop V from glaring back. Her eyebrows did not actually furrow but her distaste was bubbling in her stomach, and it wasn't subsiding anytime soon.

With the meeting of their eyes V could pick apart so much; they didn't look bothered by confrontation but they clearly weren't going to start one, either a pacifist or a coward (both utterly useless). Social stresses didn't seem an issue so she could afford to be friendly with 'that one kid' by not looking away. But that seemed to be all V could gage, and after all she could never be sure. It wasn't like she wanted to know them that personally.

The girl got up and started to walk in V's direction. And they are immediately interrupted by the school alarm. Everyone leaps into their (presumably assigned) seats as the professor slams open the door with uncanny punctuality. It almost makes V wonder if they'd just been waiting outside the classroom the entire time.

Class commences.


End file.
